TEXAS
TEXAS
Local litigation firms Local litigation stars Mike McKool
McKool Smith
Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property
Highly recommended Jeffery Angelovich
Nix Patterson & Roach Harold Nix
Gibbs & Bruns Antitrust, Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Nix Patterson & Roach
Property, Securites Personal Injury, Products Liability, Toxic Tort
McKool Smith
Michael Angelovich David Oliver
Nix Patterson & Roach Nix Patterson & Roach Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease
Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property Personal Injury
Provost Umphrey Law Firm
Camp Bailey Karen Oshman
Susman Godfrey Bailey Perrin Bailey Susman Godfrey
Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Toxic Tort Commercial Litigation, Securities
Ward & Smith
Ken Bailey Kathy Patrick
Bailey Perrin Bailey Gibbs & Bruns
Recommended Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Toxic Tort Securities
Bradley Beckworth Brady Paddock
Bailey Perrin Bailey
Nix Patterson & Roach Nix Patterson & Roach
Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease Class Action, Intellectual Property, Securities Intellectual Property
Vineet Bhatia Cary Patterson
Susman Godfrey Nix Patterson & Roach
Antitrust, Commercial Litigation Intellectual Property, Personal Injury, Products
Liability, Toxic Tort
Anthony Bruster
Nix Patterson & Roach Matthew Pearson
Intellectual Property, Products Liability Gravely & Pearson
Insurance
Jeffrey Carter
McKool Smith Michael Perrin
Intellectual Property Bailey Perrin Bailey
Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Toxic Tort
Doug Cawley
McKool Smith Shawn Raymond
Intellectual Property Susman Godfrey
Class Action, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury
Paul Ferguson
Provost Umphrey Law Firm Nelson Roach
Personal Injury, Products Liability Nix Patterson & Roach
Antitrust, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury,
Lee Godfrey Products Liability, Toxic Tort
Susman Godfrey
Commercial Litigation Mary Sammons
Susman Godfrey
Marc Gravely Commercial Litigation
Gravely & Pearson
Insurance Brad Seidel
Nix Patterson & Roach
Geoffrey Harrison Class Action, Commercial Litigation, Securities
Susman Godfrey
Commercial Litigation Neil Smith
Nix Patterson & Roach
Wesley Hill Commercial, Intellectual Property, Personal Injury
Ward & Smith
Intellectual Property, Oil & Gas Theodore Stevenson
McKool Smith
Mark Lanier Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property
The Lanier Law Firm
Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Toxic Tort Harry Susman
Susman Godfrey
Kenneth Marks Commercial Litigation
Susman Godfrey
Commercial Litigation Stephen Susman
Susman Godfrey
Commercial Litigation
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO AMERICA’S LEADING LITIGATION FIRMS & ATTORNEYS 169
TEXAS
Katherine Treistman
Susman Godfrey
Commercial Litigation
Max Tribble
Susman Godfrey
Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property
Thomas Walter Umphrey
Provost Umphrey Law Firm
Labor & Employment, Personal Injury
Gordon White
McKool Smith
Intellectual Property
Steven Wolens
McKool Smith
Class Action, Commercial Litigation
John Ward, Jr
Ward & Smith
Commercial, Intellectual Property, Oil & Gas,
Personal Injury
Mark Wawro
Susman Godfrey
Commercial Litigation, Securities, Intellectual
Property
170
TEXAS
Texas financial statements for a period of five years
dating back to its spin-off from General
Motors. The firm secured a $320 million
settlement of behalf of the class.
Tort reform changed Texas litigation in a big way a few years ago, rendering some Provost Umphrey Law Firm
products liability areas dead, while doctors flocked to the state seeking its strong With two locations in Texas, Beaumont and
Tyler, Provost Umphrey Law Firm handles
medical malpractice protection. East Texas remains a hotbed of intellectual prop- pharmaceutical, personal injury, wrongful
erty litigation, though defendants are beginning to aggressive challenge cases death, automobile accident, chemical
brought in the “Rocket Docket” on venue grounds. The oil and gas industry exposure, toxic tort, financial and hurricane
remains the engine driving Texas litigation, particularly as hydraulic fracturing insurance matters. Founded in 1969 by two
opens up large natural gas fields previously unavailable. lawyers from Port Arthur, the firm has over
30 lawyers. The firm is particularly focused
Highly recommended firms Douglas Cawley recently won a $290 on its drug and medical device practice,
million judgment for i4i against Microsoft, handling Accutane, hip replacement,
Gibbs & Bruns convincing the judge that technology used in Meridia, Avandia, Fixodent, Poligrip,
With around 30 lawyers, Gibbs & Bruns Microsoft Word infringed on an i4i patent. hormone replacement therapy and intra-
operates as a lean litigation boutique, taking The case, which was decided by the US articular pain pump issues. The firm recently
and winning big cases, both as a plaintiff and Supreme Court, was closely watched, as agreed to settle claims on behalf of 5,000
defendant. The firm touts its plaintiffs observers believe it will shape how patent Central and South American farm workers
experience, claiming that approaching all cases are handled in the future. Mike McKool exposed to dibromochloropropane, which
cases with a plaintiff’s mentality give it an handles some of the firm’s largest litigation, was banned in the US, while working for
edge. “We are still a client and would look to including work for clients like Lockheed Dole in the 1970s and 1980s. Paul Ferguson
them for representation in significant Martin, American Airlines and Excel specializes in personal injury and products
commercial disputes, either as a defendant or Communications, drawing praise beyond liability litigation. He has handled industrial
plaintiff,” says a client. “The firm is Texas for his commercial and intellectual accidents, automobile collisions, 18-wheeler
recognized as a true trial firm with a highly property work. Theodore Stevenson III has liability, automotive products liability,
competent appellate and legal research over 20 years experience handling intellectual commercial products liability, toxic torts and
capability.” Another adds: “I believe they property disputes for clients like Medtronic, general negligence cases. Thomas Walter
have the best plaintiff’s lawyer reputation in Ericsson and Omni Financial. “Ted Umphrey serves as managing partner of the
Texas for serious business disputes.” Stevenson is a really fine, mostly plaintiffs, IP firm. A former prosecutor with the Jefferson
While Kathy Patrick epitomizes the lawyer,” says a peer. Working out of Austin, County District Attorney’s Office, Umphrey
bulldog litigator image, multiple peers who Gordon White handles patent litigation, handles personal injury and labor and
worked alongside her also felt she was the especially with complex electrical technology, employment matters.
smartest lawyer involved in the case. “She telecommunications, computer hardware and
beat the tar out of us in a case,” says a computer software. He has represented Susman Godfrey
competitor. “We settled.” Patrick recently clients like Texas MP3, American Video Founded in 1980, Susman Godfrey is noted
represented 22 mortgage-backed securities Graphics and Ericsson. Steven Wolens for its aggressive litigation, handling high-
investors who sued Bank of America to force represents clients like the cities of San stakes matters out of Houston, Dallas, Los
them to buy back the investments, securing a, Antonio and San Diego in complex class Angeles, Seattle and New York. The firm’s 89
$8.5 billion settlement that surprised industry action and commercial litigation. litigators carry a reputation as lawyers who
analysts who expected a longer fight. When relish going to trial. The firm has represented
Texas billionaire Trevor Rees-Jones sold his Nix Patterson & Roach clients like Gateway, MicroUnity and
energy company in 2006, it came as a Founded in Daingerfield in 1965, Nix Luminant. The firm is a leading proponent of
surprise to former minority shareholder Patterson & Roach has grown to include alternative fee arrangements, with one client
Bobbitt Noel, Jr, who recently allowed Rees- offices in Daingerfield, Dallas, Austin and stating, “We chose them on reputation and
Jones to buy out his shares based on what he Texarkana. The firm focuses on quality, and fee structure.”
claimed was a much lower valuation of the its attorneys are accomplished from top to Lee Godfrey draws exceptional praise from
company. Grant Harvey took the case, and in bottom; all 10 partners at the firm achieved peers and was chosen by President Bill
May 2011, a judge handed down a $196 litigation star status. The firm’s lawyers Clinton to serve as ambassador to Brazil in
million judgment, citing fraud and breach of handle a wide range of litigation needs, but 1996. “Lee Godfrey is one of the finest trial
fiduciary duty. Specializing in complex are best represented by their work in toxic lawyers in the US,” says a peer. “He is bright,
commercial litigation, Barrett Reasoner tort, securities fraud, personal injury, nursing engaging and very creative.” Kenneth Marks
draws praise for his approach. “Barrett home negligence, commercial, products draws praise for his courtroom presence.
Reasoner is professional, respectful of liability, intellectual property, automobile “Kenny Marks is a good questioner off the
opponents, but aggressive and hones in on accident and wrongful death litigation. Nix, cuff and pretty thoughtful,” says a
the issues very quickly,” says a competitor. Patterson & Roach is currently serving as competitor. For over 18 years, Vineet Bhatia
interim lead counsel in a class action brought has handled high-stakes commercial disputes
McKool Smith by Compsource Oklahoma against Bank of for plaintiffs and defendants. He recently
McKool Smith represents both plaintiffs and New York Mellon seeking to recover losses resolved a $500 million mortgage insurance
defendants in complex commercial, antitrust, suffered in Bank of New York Mellon’s dispute on behalf of Genworth Mortgage.
bankruptcy, intellectual property and white- investments in medium-term notes of Sigma Stephen Susman has represented client in
collar crime litigation. The firm’s over 130 Finance. They also serve as co-lead counsel high-profile cases, including Frank McCourt
litigators work out of New York City, on behalf of the Teachers Retirement System in his divorce proceedings, Industrial
Washington DC, and four offices in Texas: of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Law Recovery Capital Holdings in a $178 million
Austin, Dallas, Houston and Marshall. Enforcement Retirement System in a victory, and Sky Technologies in a patent
“McKool Smith down here does an excellent securities fraud case against Delphi, arising infringement matter. Susman is also praised
job,” says a competitor. out of Delphi’s restatement of all of its for building the depth of the firm. “Steve
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO AMERICA’S LEADING LITIGATION FIRMS & ATTORNEYS 171
TEXAS
Susman hires very smart people,” says a infringement actions. “Johnny Ward is a very Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease
competitor. up and coming promising lawyer,” says a Founded in 1909, Vorys Sater Seymour and
competitor. United States District Judge for Pease has almost 400 lawyers working from
Ward & Smith the Eastern District of Texas John Ward, Sr, offices in Ohio, Texas and Washington DC.
A litigation boutique operating out of who is responsible for the federal intellectual The firm handles a wide-range of litigation,
Longview, Ward & Smith has forged a strong property docket in Eastern Texas, is stepping labor and employment law, corporate law,
reputation, receiving 90% of its business down in September 2011, to join the firm. commercial law, and tax law matters. David
from referrals from other lawyers and former Oliver holds degrees in both chemistry and
clients. The firm handles complex litigation Recommended firms biology, and specializes in cases involving
in business matters, including intellectual allegations of injuries due to exposure to
property, oil and gas, and breach of contract, Bailey Perrin Bailey chemicals or pharmaceuticals.
as well as personal injury litigation. The firm A large civil litigation law firm with over 20
recently won a $23 million verdict on behalf lawyers specializing in personal injury Yetter Coleman
of Fractus in an antenna patent infringement litigation, Bailey Perrin Bailey has won A litigation boutique set up to handle high-
claim against Samsung. The jury found the thousands of favorable settlements and stakes business and technology litigation,
infringement to be willful. In March 2011, verdicts in toxic exposure, business fraud, Yetter Coleman has been a strong presence in
the firm won a $5.4 million verdict on behalf personal injury, industrial accident, products Houston since 1997, though really drawing
of Cheetah Omni, which claimed Verizon liability, defective drug and other civil attention lately. “I’ve worked with and
FiOS used optical processing technologies matters. Founding partner Ken Bailey against them,” says a competitor. “They are
that infringed on Cheetah patents. Wesley devotes his practice to mass torts and top-notch folks.” The firm has drawn
Hill handles patent, oil and gas, business, and personal injury. He represented the Texas in particular notice for its plaintiff work. “They
federal criminal defense litigation and has litigation against the tobacco companies in are a good firm,” says a peer. “I think of them
won multimillion-dollar plaintiffs verdicts for 1997 resulting in the largest settlement in US as mostly plaintiffs, but they do both
his clients. John Ward Jr has first chair trial history. Founding partner Michael Perrin [plaintiff and defense].” Paul Yetter has over
experience in over 30 jury trials, covering car handles civil litigation, personal injury and 25 years of experience handling commercial,
wrecks, 18-wheeler accidents, wrongful mass torts, with particular focus on matters securities and intellectual property litigation.
death and survival claims, premises liability, involving electrical transformers, overhead “Everyone who talks about Paul Yetter holds
medical malpractice, consumer disputes, power lines and other injury cases related to him in the highest regard,” says a competitor,
first-party insurance claims, will contests, the distribution of electricity. with another adding, “Paul seems to be in all
civil rights violations, and patent the big cases in Houston.”
172
TEXAS
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO AMERICA’S LEADING LITIGATION FIRMS & ATTORNEYS 173